Article Published: Monday, May 12, 2003 - 12:00:00 AM MST
Rockies handing ball, opportunity to Young
By Troy E. Renck, Denver Post Sports Writer
MIAMI - This much is known about Jason Young. He's quiet, intellectual, unassuming. On many spring mornings in Tucson, he went unseen despite his 6-foot-5 frame. But he will be impossible to miss tonight at Coors Field. He will be the big kid standing on the mound.
Young, about four months earlier than anticipated, will make his major-league debut against the New York Mets.
"That's awesome. He's going to be excited," said Colorado Rockies starter Aaron Cook, a close friend of Young's dating to their days in the minor leagues. "I can't wait to see him. I had no idea."
With Nelson Cruz bothered by shoulder stiffness and the Rockies unwilling to bring back Shawn Chacon on three days' rest, Young was summoned from Triple-A Colorado Springs. After a rough spring training, the former Stanford star regained his footing with the Sky Sox, posting a 3-1 record with a 3.82 ERA.
Young, a second-round pick in the 2000 draft, was chosen over left-hander Cory Vance (5-1, 3.13 ERA) because it fell on his regular turn, according to Rockies manager Clint Hurdle.
"This gives us another opportunity to take a look at a young pitcher," said Hurdle, who created room on the 25-man roster by designating reliever Dan Miceli for assignment. "We will see what he can bring."
Hurdle joked that he instructed Young not to go house hunting. As it stands, the plan is for Young to make a spot start. That, however, is subject to change. If Young, 23, performs well, he could get the ball again Saturday against the Montreal Expos, a start tentatively reserved for Cruz. Cruz has been experiencing shoulder stiffness, but is recovering quickly enough that Hurdle mentioned him as a possible candidate to fill Miceli's vacated spot in the reeling bullpen.
Denny Neagle also is scheduled to make his last minor-league rehab start Friday, leaving Colorado with more options on the horizon. Still, no one knows better than Chacon how a cameo can blossom into a permanent job. He was called up in April 2001 to fill in for Mike Hampton. Chacon remained in the big leagues the entire season after struggling lefty Ron Villone was demoted to the bullpen.
"It could be the same thing all over again. Who knows?" Chacon said of Young. "He has a good head on his shoulders. He has the makeup and attitude to handle it."
Cook, perhaps more than anyone else in the Rockies' organization, has the best read on Young. They were roommates the past two seasons. Young was even in Cook's wedding in October in Ohio. Cook credits Young for helping him resurrect his once-fledgling minor-league career.
Young, whom general manager Dan O'Dowd has said he would prefer to keep in Triple-A this season, throws a fastball, slider and changeup, relying more on location than velocity.
"It's going to be an awesome experience for him," Cook said. "It was surreal for me (in August), having my family there, the big lights, the third deck and 50,000 people in the stands. It is hard to take a step back in that situation. But Jason is the kind of pitcher who controls his emotions very well."
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Beleaguered Rockies send call for Young
By Tracy Ringolsby, Rocky Mountain News
May 12, 2003
MIAMI - Jason Young will make his Colorado Rockies debut tonight.
No telling how long he will be around.
On the surface, the Rockies' need for a starting pitcher should be short-lived. Denny Neagle already has made three starts on a minor league medical rehabilitation assignment. With one or two more, he would seem to be a likely candidate to be activated from the disabled list.
Scott Elarton also is in the mix. With a couple of strong starts at Class AAA Colorado Springs, the Rockies could decide he has sufficient command and arm strength to return to the big leagues following major shoulder surgery in March 2002.
Manager Clint Hurdle was careful Sunday not to say Young was making only a one-time appearance before being shipped back to Colorado Springs.
What he did indicate was that Nelson Cruz is headed back to the bullpen. Cruz opened the season in the rotation but informed the Rockies on Friday that in his three most recent starts he has experienced shoulder stiffness.
"We saw Jason Young in spring training and we liked what we saw," Hurdle said. "This is another chance to take a look at him. We are trying to reshuffle things and look at the options we have to strengthen our pitching staff. I told him not to buy a house, but just take the ball and pitch."
It was two years ago that Shawn Chacon was called up for an emergency start in late April when Mike Hampton was bothered by a stiff neck. Chacon stayed in the big leagues the rest of the 2001 season.
"This is Jason's opportunity," Hurdle said.
Young went 3-1 with a 3.82 earned-run average in six starts at Colorado Springs. The other candidate from the Sky Sox would have been left-hander Cory Vance, who has gone 5-1 with a 3.13 ERA. Vance will pitch at Fresno today for the Sky Sox while Young is making his debut in the big leagues against the New York Mets.
Young becomes the 11th pitcher originally signed by the Rockies to make his big-league debut as a starter, the first since Jason Jennings shut out the Mets at Shea Stadium on Aug. 23, 2001.
Young was the Rockies' second-round draft choice from Stanford in June 2000, the year the team drafted high-school right-hander Matt Harrington in the first round. They did not sign Harrington. Young would have been the Rockies' first-round choice, instead of the second-rounder, had Harrington not slid past the first six teams with picks in that draft.
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from Rocky Mtn news Rockies report:
? Jason Young tonight will become the 11th pitcher to be drafted by the Rockies and make his big-league debut as a starting pitcher for the team. How each of the 10 previous fared in his first game:
Pitcher Date Opponent Dec IP H R ER BB SO
Mark Thompson July 26, 1994 @San Diego W 5 2/3 7 3 3 4 2
Juan Acevedo April 30, 1995 @Houston ND 5 1 0 0 1 2
Bryan Rekar July 19, 1995 Philadelphia W 6 1/3 7 3 3 1 3
Jamey Wright July 3, 1996 @San Fran. ND 6 4 1 1 2 4
John Thomson May 11, 1997 @Philadelphia L 7 5 3 1 4 7
Mike Saipe June 25, 1998 Houston ND 6 9 3 3 0 1
Mark Brownson July 21, 1998 @Houston W 9 4 0 0 1 7
Luther Hackman Sept. 1, 1999 Pittsburgh ND 6 6 5 5 5 5
Shawn Chacon April 29, 2001 Cincinnati ND 5 1/3 9 7 7 3 8
Jason Jennings Aug. 23, 2001 @NY (NL) W 9 5 0 0 4 8
Vs. today's pitchers
Colorado vs. Trachsel
Hitter Avg. AB H HR RBI
Belliard .400 10 4 0 2
Butler .667 3 2 0 0
Estalella .333 3 1 0 0
Helton .353 17 6 2 4
Hernndz .400 5 2 0 0
Johnson .136 22 3 0 5
Kapler .125 8 1 0 1
Norton .200 5 1 0 0
Payton .167 6 1 0 0
Stynes .000 6 0 0 0
Walker .387 31 12 3 5
Wilson .273 11 3 1 2
Sweeney has not batted against Trachsel.
POST any more info you got here!!
Rockies handing ball, opportunity to Young
By Troy E. Renck, Denver Post Sports Writer
MIAMI - This much is known about Jason Young. He's quiet, intellectual, unassuming. On many spring mornings in Tucson, he went unseen despite his 6-foot-5 frame. But he will be impossible to miss tonight at Coors Field. He will be the big kid standing on the mound.
Young, about four months earlier than anticipated, will make his major-league debut against the New York Mets.
"That's awesome. He's going to be excited," said Colorado Rockies starter Aaron Cook, a close friend of Young's dating to their days in the minor leagues. "I can't wait to see him. I had no idea."
With Nelson Cruz bothered by shoulder stiffness and the Rockies unwilling to bring back Shawn Chacon on three days' rest, Young was summoned from Triple-A Colorado Springs. After a rough spring training, the former Stanford star regained his footing with the Sky Sox, posting a 3-1 record with a 3.82 ERA.
Young, a second-round pick in the 2000 draft, was chosen over left-hander Cory Vance (5-1, 3.13 ERA) because it fell on his regular turn, according to Rockies manager Clint Hurdle.
"This gives us another opportunity to take a look at a young pitcher," said Hurdle, who created room on the 25-man roster by designating reliever Dan Miceli for assignment. "We will see what he can bring."
Hurdle joked that he instructed Young not to go house hunting. As it stands, the plan is for Young to make a spot start. That, however, is subject to change. If Young, 23, performs well, he could get the ball again Saturday against the Montreal Expos, a start tentatively reserved for Cruz. Cruz has been experiencing shoulder stiffness, but is recovering quickly enough that Hurdle mentioned him as a possible candidate to fill Miceli's vacated spot in the reeling bullpen.
Denny Neagle also is scheduled to make his last minor-league rehab start Friday, leaving Colorado with more options on the horizon. Still, no one knows better than Chacon how a cameo can blossom into a permanent job. He was called up in April 2001 to fill in for Mike Hampton. Chacon remained in the big leagues the entire season after struggling lefty Ron Villone was demoted to the bullpen.
"It could be the same thing all over again. Who knows?" Chacon said of Young. "He has a good head on his shoulders. He has the makeup and attitude to handle it."
Cook, perhaps more than anyone else in the Rockies' organization, has the best read on Young. They were roommates the past two seasons. Young was even in Cook's wedding in October in Ohio. Cook credits Young for helping him resurrect his once-fledgling minor-league career.
Young, whom general manager Dan O'Dowd has said he would prefer to keep in Triple-A this season, throws a fastball, slider and changeup, relying more on location than velocity.
"It's going to be an awesome experience for him," Cook said. "It was surreal for me (in August), having my family there, the big lights, the third deck and 50,000 people in the stands. It is hard to take a step back in that situation. But Jason is the kind of pitcher who controls his emotions very well."
//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
Beleaguered Rockies send call for Young
By Tracy Ringolsby, Rocky Mountain News
May 12, 2003
MIAMI - Jason Young will make his Colorado Rockies debut tonight.
No telling how long he will be around.
On the surface, the Rockies' need for a starting pitcher should be short-lived. Denny Neagle already has made three starts on a minor league medical rehabilitation assignment. With one or two more, he would seem to be a likely candidate to be activated from the disabled list.
Scott Elarton also is in the mix. With a couple of strong starts at Class AAA Colorado Springs, the Rockies could decide he has sufficient command and arm strength to return to the big leagues following major shoulder surgery in March 2002.
Manager Clint Hurdle was careful Sunday not to say Young was making only a one-time appearance before being shipped back to Colorado Springs.
What he did indicate was that Nelson Cruz is headed back to the bullpen. Cruz opened the season in the rotation but informed the Rockies on Friday that in his three most recent starts he has experienced shoulder stiffness.
"We saw Jason Young in spring training and we liked what we saw," Hurdle said. "This is another chance to take a look at him. We are trying to reshuffle things and look at the options we have to strengthen our pitching staff. I told him not to buy a house, but just take the ball and pitch."
It was two years ago that Shawn Chacon was called up for an emergency start in late April when Mike Hampton was bothered by a stiff neck. Chacon stayed in the big leagues the rest of the 2001 season.
"This is Jason's opportunity," Hurdle said.
Young went 3-1 with a 3.82 earned-run average in six starts at Colorado Springs. The other candidate from the Sky Sox would have been left-hander Cory Vance, who has gone 5-1 with a 3.13 ERA. Vance will pitch at Fresno today for the Sky Sox while Young is making his debut in the big leagues against the New York Mets.
Young becomes the 11th pitcher originally signed by the Rockies to make his big-league debut as a starter, the first since Jason Jennings shut out the Mets at Shea Stadium on Aug. 23, 2001.
Young was the Rockies' second-round draft choice from Stanford in June 2000, the year the team drafted high-school right-hander Matt Harrington in the first round. They did not sign Harrington. Young would have been the Rockies' first-round choice, instead of the second-rounder, had Harrington not slid past the first six teams with picks in that draft.
///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
from Rocky Mtn news Rockies report:
? Jason Young tonight will become the 11th pitcher to be drafted by the Rockies and make his big-league debut as a starting pitcher for the team. How each of the 10 previous fared in his first game:
Pitcher Date Opponent Dec IP H R ER BB SO
Mark Thompson July 26, 1994 @San Diego W 5 2/3 7 3 3 4 2
Juan Acevedo April 30, 1995 @Houston ND 5 1 0 0 1 2
Bryan Rekar July 19, 1995 Philadelphia W 6 1/3 7 3 3 1 3
Jamey Wright July 3, 1996 @San Fran. ND 6 4 1 1 2 4
John Thomson May 11, 1997 @Philadelphia L 7 5 3 1 4 7
Mike Saipe June 25, 1998 Houston ND 6 9 3 3 0 1
Mark Brownson July 21, 1998 @Houston W 9 4 0 0 1 7
Luther Hackman Sept. 1, 1999 Pittsburgh ND 6 6 5 5 5 5
Shawn Chacon April 29, 2001 Cincinnati ND 5 1/3 9 7 7 3 8
Jason Jennings Aug. 23, 2001 @NY (NL) W 9 5 0 0 4 8
Vs. today's pitchers
Colorado vs. Trachsel
Hitter Avg. AB H HR RBI
Belliard .400 10 4 0 2
Butler .667 3 2 0 0
Estalella .333 3 1 0 0
Helton .353 17 6 2 4
Hernndz .400 5 2 0 0
Johnson .136 22 3 0 5
Kapler .125 8 1 0 1
Norton .200 5 1 0 0
Payton .167 6 1 0 0
Stynes .000 6 0 0 0
Walker .387 31 12 3 5
Wilson .273 11 3 1 2
Sweeney has not batted against Trachsel.
POST any more info you got here!!
